The Eramosa Karst Conservation Area officially opened last week. The ribbon cutting ceremony marked a long journey for this precious 180 acres of geographically-unique lands in upper Stoney Creek.

The battle to protect this area began 10 years ago, when the former City of Stoney Creek made the first move to save the area from pending development.

The lands were officially handed over to the Hamilton Conservation Authority in 2006, after much work and lobbying by former Conservative cabinet minister and MPP Brad Clark. This is is the first conservation area opened in Hamilton in more than 20 years.

In handing the land over to the HCA, the provincial government recognized the importance of the 13,000-year-old caves, dry valleys and sinking streams. The provincial government also transferred seven low-lying acres at the southwest corner of Upper Mount Albion Road and Highland Road to the HCA to further protect the karst.

However, an important component in protecting this new conservation area remains outstanding - 80 acres of land located east of Upper Mount Albion Road between Rymal and Highland roads.

The lands are up for sale by the Ontario Realty Corporation; a department of the provincial government.

Karst supporters argue development would threaten the park's abundance of caves, sink holes, dry valleys and sinking streams.

Just this month, city council made a show of support for the lands by threatening to rezone the government-owned land to the east as open space. This battle may end up at the Ontario Municipal Board, with the city fighting for conservation against a province that appears to value the revenue.

It seems ironic a government that prides itself on 'environmental responsibility' and that introduced the Greenbelt legislation that protects a huge swath of land from the Golden Horseshoe to the Oak Ridges Moraine, would be battling conservationists over 80 acres.

The ORC's environmental assessment coordinator told the News recently a study will consider expansion of the karst's buffer zone as "an option." But she acknowledged the focus is to prepare the land for sale to developers because it is "surplus to government needs."

The ORC has also ignored a 2004 report by three distinguished scientists for the Ministry of Natural Resources, that encouraged the provincial government to protect the karst from encroaching development.

Marcus Buck, in a letter to the city, stated urban development within the feeder area "may impact the karst in a number of ways" including the use of road salt; excavations that could result in alterations to the subsurface flow patterns; garbage that could block sink holes; and toxic contaminants that could create hazardous conditions within the caves.

The ORC is trotting out the usual economic bromides that development would mean more construction jobs and high property tax assessments. These short-term economic gains could never restore the karst once it is forever destroyed, contaminated by asphalt, vehicle exhaust fumes and bulldozers ripping out the earth.

Residents can feel much joy in the opening of the Eramosa Karst Conservation Area, as well as the pending East Mountain Trail Loop construction, a 10 kilometre multi-use pathway. The $3.5 million joint project between the city and the HCA, is part of the Red Hill Valley Open Space Replacement Strategy to compensate the community for the 70 hectares of natural space lost to the Red Hill Valley Parkway. The loop will eventually link 155 hectares of existing land to more than 240 hectares of open space in Stoney Creek and the east Hamilton Mountain.

However, the celebrations of this major accomplishment would be even more satisfying if the province and the ORC completed protection for this conservation oasis by placing the final piece in this large and complicated puzzle.